Rice community celebrates 100th matriculating class
First day of O-Week concludes with freshmen’s ceremonial march through Sallyport and a flash of fireworks

BY AMY HODGES
Rice News staff

After a morning and afternoon full of activities, Rice University’s Class of 2015 concluded their first day of O-Week Sunday evening at the traditional matriculation ceremony in Tudor Fieldhouse, where they received their formal welcome to the Rice community. The event ended with the freshmen’s ceremonial march through the Sallyport and a dazzling display of fireworks in the Academic Quad.

Christa Nnoromele, a bioengineering major from Richmond, Ky., and member of McMurtry College, admitted she was a bit tired from the day’s events but expressed excitement about the evening activities.

”I’m just so glad to be here and ready to see what’s going to happen. From the first minute I got here today, everyone has been so friendly and really welcoming."

Greeting the Class of 2015 was Dean of Undergraduates John Hutchinson, who opened the evening’s matriculation ceremony.

”I would guess that you have been welcomed to Rice not less than 20 times today,” Hutchinson said, prompting laughs from the students. ”But this is the big one. This is the moment in your lives when from this point forward, your future is tied to Rice University.”

Hutchinson then introduced Rice President David Leebron, who greeted the freshmen, the largest and most diverse incoming class in Rice’s history. The Class of 2015 also has the distinction of being Rice’s 100th class to matriculate. 

Leebron encouraged students to support the values of Rice, including being there to lend support to one another.

”Community has many different aspects, but most important is the way we support and treat each other,” Leebron said. He noted that one of his new hobbies is keeping up with new texting acronyms and abbreviations and took time to introduce students to a new one – HCIH.

”Everything won’t always go smoothly and most of you will suffer some disappointments,” he said. ”I hope that when you text your friends or our staff or our faculty about a problem, the response will be HCIH – How can I help? And I hope in return that HCIH will be your response when someone tells you about their problems.”

Leebron closed his speech with ”Dave’s Top 10,” a list of advice for the students modeled after David Letterman’s popular television segment. ”Although no one actually calls me Dave,” he said, stirring laughter among the students.

His guidance ranged from "Be nice to your roommate" and "Go to class" to "Get outside your comfort zone" and "Get outside the hedges." For the full text of Leebron’s speech, including ”Dave’s Top 10,” click here.

The matriculation ceremony concluded with speeches by Student Association President and Lovett College senior Georgia Lagoudas and Association of Rice Alumni President Gloria Meckel Tarpley ’81. ”Rice has brought much joy to my life,” Tarpley said, ”and I know it will make all of you just as happy.”

There seemed to be no shortage of happiness in the air following the matriculation ceremony as the new students, grouped by residential college, marched across campus toward the Sallyport — the arched passageway in Lovett Hall that leads into the Academic Quad. As each college approached the entryway, a hush fell over the crowd waiting on the other side. As each group marched through, the waiting crowd erupted in screams and cheers for the new freshmen.

”This is not at all what I was expecting for a matriculation ceremony, but it was so awesome,” said Henry Anderson, a member of Sid Richardson College from Houston who plans to study physics or linguistics. He also expressed enthusiasm about the residential college system. ”There’s a lot of support available, and I think it’s going to be great.”

Jones College member and Miami native Alexandra Hernandez shared Anderson’s enthusiasm. I’m feeling really excited, and part of me doesn’t even know what to feel, it’s just so overwhelming,” she said. ”I’ve never experienced anything like this before. I don’t even have words to describe it. I just know I’m going to have a lot of fun.” Hernandez plans to study biology and possibly global health studies.

Following the procession, a fireworks display fittingly capped off what Sid Richardson College master and Professor of Earth Science Dale Sawyer called ”a spectacular event.”

”It really kind of puts an opening on the students’ experience at Rice,” Sawyer said. ”It’s wonderful – at this point, all we see is their faces, and we have no idea what they’re going to be a year from now, or four years from now. It’s just amazing to watch them grow and do things that they’re going to be proud of for the rest of their lives.”